Your Eyes
by GoWashTheLights
Summary: Romano never believed that twists in life could get him down. He was young, in his prime, they'd say, so he had nothing to worry about...until an old girlfriend comes back into his life. OC Pairing.
1. Chapter One

**Author Note:** I started watching this series about a month ago...and haven't been able to stop. It may have to do with a certain former Starship Captain as the lead (again), but I also really love Adrian Zmed. The show wasn't the same without him in it in later seasons :(

**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own T.J. Hooker or it's characters, etc. If I did...the show wouldn't be as cool.

* * *

Chapter One

* * *

Emily heaved a sigh. It was like one of those gratifying, end-of-a-long-day sighs, but something was off. It may have been that it was actually about six in the morning, but Emily was banking it on the fact that she was in L.A. She'd somehow convinced herself to come, but the idea of

convincing herself to just leave was starting to sound great. She stopped at another street corner, checking the address on the piece of paper she carried. As she looked at the sign standing over her, she rolled her eyes.

"Now way! I _had_ to be going the wrong way, didn't I?" She cried, now irritated. It always just took one wrong turn for her to get lost, and now was not the time to be doing this. Turning west, Emuily adjusted the small bag she had over her shoulder. She wasn't exactly sure how much time

she'd spend before heading back, but a couple days worth of clothes and supplies seemed enough - like a sleepover. _A big, awkward sleepover with me and an old flame, _she thought. As she passed a magazine shop, the store owner gave a polite smile as he opened the door. Emily returned

the greeting; the people here seemed nice. She could understand why _he _would have decided a place like this. It was quiet, with good company, and an easy place to move on. Just two months had passed...

Emily shook her head. "Get it together, Em. You're not here for vacation, just to tell him what you need to and move on, too." She was wasting time, feeling lost again. She turned on her heel and found the magazine shop owner, switching on his sign. "Hey, uh, I have a question..."

"Sure, hon. What's up?"

"I'm totally lost," she admitted, holding out the paper. "Could you help me find this place? It's the police station."

The man was smiling, but he frowned through it as he took the address. "Everything all right?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm just visiting a friend."

"Ah. Well, you have the wrong address, dear. Come on in, and I'll get it for you."

Emily paused, raising an eyebrow. She'd gotten the address out of a phone book, simple enough, but it was possible she'd written it wrong; she did that sometimes. "Don't you just...know where to go?" She asked.

The man's smile returned. "I live a pretty quiet life, so I've never had to bother with the cops."

_Odd, _Emily mused, but she shrugged. She supposed you didn't have to know where everything was, even if it was the station. Stepping in, she found the front room cozy, well-lit, with the books organized perfectly. It would have been ideal, except...a terrible, musty smell, which contradicted the

shop's very appearance. Where was it coming from? As she stepped toward the desk, next to the owner, the smell worsened. Like a sewer entrance had been left open somewhere. Emily tried not to scrunch her face too much as the man pulled out a directory and flipped a few pages. He

finally nodded and tapped the book, motioning her closer. "See now," he said, "this is where you need to go. Give me one sec." He stepped away, and Emily was able to get a closer look. She'd started to fiddle in her pockets for something to write on, then slowed to a stop. The page before her

was a section of the advertisements, not the addresses. She couldn't believe she hadn't realized it, the two being color-coded entirely different, but she blamed it for her fatigue. Traveling on a bus for six hours had killed her sleep schedule.

"Something wrong?" The man asked, and Emily winced. He was close, and a moment later his hand moved her hair aside gently. "You really should be more careful with who you talk to."

* * *

"Hooker? Earth to T.J. Hooker."

"Hm?" Hooker looked up, his eyes, previously having been glued to the pictures sent in with the report. The one in his hand was the most graphic. He couldn't believe the girl was still alive. "What did you say?"

"What do _you _say? Ready to go?" Officer Sheridan asked, his eyebrows raised expectantly. Hooker jumped to attention, standing with the report still in his hand.

"Not a second to lose, naturally." He replied. "I'll personally escort the man responsible into his cell and swallow the key if I have to."

Sheridan smiled, but he knew the guy was serious as ever. The senior officer opened the door and called out, "Romano, come on in, son."

Vince was quick to abide, though not before giving one, final nod to Stacy. That kid had developed quick eyes for Dennis Sheridan's daughter, and as nice as the boy was, Sheridan just couldn't help but be over-protective. He knew that if anyone could keep Officer Romano in line, it was T.J. Hooker.

"We're headed out?" Romano inquired, that still-fresh cop shine in his eyes. It had nearly been two-and-a-half months, but he still looked just as trigger happy. Hooker was the solution, all right, having been like that himself once. Hooker handed Romano the report over without delay, giving

Sheridan the cue he needed to step out. Hooker closed the door behind him, his face serious. "This case was filed two days ago by the hospital, and the sooner we can get it settled and help the victim through whatever she needs, the better. It's a more serious file, but the Captain figured

getting your feet a little more wet was in order."

Romano's face began to fall as he examined the picture, then the report. He sat carefully on the edge of Hooker's desk. "More like soaked..." He mumbled, shaking his head.

"What's wrong?"

Romano sighed. "What was she even doin' here?" He asked himself. Of all the people he'd expected to see in a police report, Emily had been dead last. In fact, he'd never expected to see her again. Hooker was suddenly at his side, a squint in his eyes.

"Do you know her?"

"She's a...friend of mine. How could this have happened to her? Who'd do this to a good kid like her?"

The older cop sighed, feeling a speech coming on. "This is what the work is about, Vince. You never know who you're going to end up helping, but that's what we're there for - to help people. We're here to take care of the things those people can't."

"Oh, I'll take care of this," Romano muttered. "I'm going to kill that guy. You don't mess with Vince Romano's friends." He stepped toward the door, but Hooker already had a hand on his shoulder. "Hooker - "

"Listen to me, Romano. What you're feeling is totally normal, but the difference this time around is that you carry the badge. There's a standard, and a much better way to bring people the justice they need. You have to be the bigger person, not just some fool who happens to be authorized to

shoot on sight if needed."

Romano seemed to consider it, then shrugged away the hand. "Sure."

Hooker could only nod. "We're losing precious time. We're going to see her, to find out if she can help in any way."

The ride over to the hospital was a quiet one. Hooker enjoyed the silence, but it was sometimes ruffled by Romano's fidgeting. The younger cop would take out the papers from the envelope, then stash them, over and over. Finally he gave up on the pictures and only studied the report. He

murmured the details under his breath until Hooker finally pulled into the hospital parking lot. Inside, the two checked in at the front desk and had a doctor escort them to Emily's room. He was solemn as he explained the situation.

"She was brought in after a young man found her pulling herself along the sidewalk - thankfully there were others around to call an ambulance. That was two days ago, and though her injuries were serious, she'll make a full recovery. There are a few things I'd like to talk to you both about, but

I'll let you see her first. We asked you to come because she said she knew one of you."

Romano remained silent, still caught up in thought. Whoever had brought her in deserved the best reward one could offer; he hoped to find that man and thank him. The doctor stopped them on the third level, outside of a door at the end of the hallway, and explained it was possible that

Emily was asleep. She'd been exhausted due to nightmares, and the doctor cautioned the two about any physical contact. If she didn't take the initiative, neither of them was to touch her. She was very sensitive about it, understandably. Knocking, the doctor stepped in and called, "Emily?"

"Right here..." came a croaky, tired voice. "Come in."

The doctor nodded the two inside, stepping toward the bed with caution. Romano stayed by the door, noticing that Emily's back was turned. "The police are here to see you, ask you a few questions. Are you up to it?"

"Yeah, that's fine, thanks." She finally turned, with effort, onto her backside and looked toward the door. Romano tried not to look away, the pictures he held in his hand having come to life. The doctor again motioned them forward, and Hooker took the lead. "How are you, Emily?"

"Pretty fair, all things considering," she said with a smile. At least she was trying to be strong about it. She finally looked at Romano, for just a little longer than a moment. "Hey, Romano."

The doctor looked up. "You're the officer she knows?"

"Yeah, we're, uh, good friends." Romano smiled, nearly reaching out for her. She looked so terrible...

"Well," the doctor continued, addressing Hooker, "I'll leave you three, but if you need anything, just buzz. I'll be nearby to talk later." He nodded, then headed out. Emily surprised the two cops by reaching her hand out toward Romano, which he took gratefully. He sat, speechless.

"I'd hug you," he said, "but you look like you're in all sorts of pain. How you doin', kid?"

She smiled. "Old nicknames die hard, huh? I'd hug you, too, but yeah...I ache all over. Give me a day or so. I'm glad I found you. Well, I guess you found me." She laughed quietly.

"What brought you here, Emily? I thought...after we talked..."

She shrugged. "I just wanted to see you. Call me crazy, right?"

"Yeah," Romano replied, a chuckle escaping his control. "You're definitely crazy." He opened his mouth to continue, but Hooker softly cleared his throat. As sweet as this reunion was, they weren't exactly here for that. Whatever information they could find, they'd take it. Romano caught the

drift and nodded to himself. "R-Right. Uh, Emily, we're here to see if you need anything, of course, but..."

"You need some answers," she replied. She was quiet, and a swollen cheek didn't help, but her tone was serious. "I know. I'll help you however I can. What happened to me can't happen to anyone else."

Hooker smiled, patting Romano's shoulder. "I like her. Are you willing to answer some questions at this time?"

"Absolutely."

"Good. Now, where were you when this happened?"

She thought. "I passed a magazine shop. I was trying to find the station, and I was on Third and Twentieth. I remember because I kept getting turned around and running into the same street corners."

Hooker pursed his lips. "You were practically right around the corner. What happened after that?"

Emily's face fell, looking irritated. "I can't believe it. I turned around to ask the shop owner - the magazine shop - where I was, and he had me come inside. It looked like a nice place, but there was this awful smell."

"Like what?"

"Like...musty. Like it hadn't been cleaned in a long time. It was so weird, though, because everything was so clean and organized."

"Too organized, I believe," said Hooker. "There was a store around the corner by the station, shut down months ago by the Board of Health. What else happened, Emily?"

Her face turned sour, then. "He knocked me out cold, that's what. When I woke up, I was in the back, my hands tied up. I...don't really want to go into detail about after that, if it's okay..."

"No, no, we understand," said Hooker. "We understand. Can you tell us what he looked like?"

"Oh, right, of course," Emily said, realizing the most crucial part. "He wasn't too tall, I guess a little taller than you, with brown hair cut short. He has green eyes, he looks like he's in his...thirties, I guess?"

Romano finally decided to speak up, making himself a little useful. "What was he wearing?"

"Uh..." Emily shrugged. "Pretty normal clothes. Jeans and a white polo. Simple sneakers."

"We'll look into it then. Anything else you can remember? Anything that stood out to you, at all?"

Her face fell. "No, that's it. He roughed me up pretty darn good, so I'm surprised I remembered that much. My head has been killing me since he smacked it."

Romano shook his head. As he went to stand, he realized that his hand hadn't left Emily's, and she held onto it as tightly as she could. She looked anxious that they seemed to have wrapped things up so quickly. "We'll be back soon, Emily. We'll have someone watching you until you're able

to go home, then figure things out there."

"Oh, o-okay. Hey, Romano, could you do me a favor?"

"Sure, anything."

"Uh...could you...get me something to eat? Sorry," she said, laughing at his face. "I'm just really hungry. Get yourself and Officer Hooker something, too."

"Yeah, no problem." Romano smiled. "We can do lunch early, right Hooker?"

"Sure, sure," Hooker replied, sensing something change in Emily. She seemed to want Romano out of the room, and by his face, he realized it, too. He looked at her one last time before closing the door, and Hooker took his place in the bedside chair. "I've never seen him so willing to do

anything. You've got him hooked, Emily."

Emily smiled, looking at the ceiling. "Vince and I...go back. I want to tell him something, but I felt I needed to talk to someone else, first. I don't know, maybe I don't, but what's done is done. Could I...tell you?"

"Why me? I'm just old T.J. Hooker, sweetheart."

"It's okay. That makes it worth more. When you tell someone something important, and it's the right person, they don't just brush you off. Just from talking to you, I can tell that you don't take things lightly."

Hooker laughed. "Okay, then. What is it?"

"I came here because...before Vince came here, we were going out. Things got involved more quickly than we thought, and we decided to break it off when he decided to come here. What I didn't know was that I...I..."

"What, Emily?" Hooker asked after a long moment. He noticed her wrap her hands over her stomach, and made the conclusion before she finally said it.

"I'm pregnant. I asked the doctor to keep it a secret, but I think he's going to tell you as soon as you leave. I...don't want Vince to find out that way."

"The baby is his?"

Emily nodded. "I don't know what I'm doing. I would never consider an alternative, but raising a baby by myself? I'm a mess as it is, and he knows it."

Hooker sat back, thinking. He understood this girl pretty well. He'd seen it more than a few times in his life and his career, and he knew that having kids young was a difficult thing to deal with. He was sure that she had no idea what was going to happen in the following months, with or

without Romano. "Is the baby all right? After the attack, did anything change?"

She looked at him, awed. "That's the thing - it's perfectly fine! They told me that everything's okay...it's a miracle."

"I don't doubt it, Emily. I'm glad that you're both okay, and I'm sure that Romano will, too." He gave her a knowing look, and she sighed.

"I know. Don't tell him - I will. Let the doctor know that I will. I'm just trying to find the right way to do it."

"What do think will happen after that?"

"I'm not telling him to change anything, just to let him know. He's a cop now; what does he want with a kid, right at the start of his career, you know? I'll just tell him, I'll go home, and we can move on."

Hooker nodded to himself, a smile on his face. He stood, gathering the files they'd brought with them. "You're going to tell this young man that the two of your are going to be parents. I can promise you, from my own experience, that neither of your will be able to just 'move on'."

* * *

_Well, there we have it, chapter one :) I hope you liked it, I'll have the next chapter up soon. _


	2. Chapter Two

**Author Note:** Sorry for the delay, I was trying to get some other stories finished and had to fiddle with this one a little :)

* * *

Chapter Two

* * *

Romano trudged through the door, his whole body aching from a long day's work. As he set down his keys on the counter, he massaged the back of his neck. He was grateful that the soreness was only catching up to him; he tried to be on the move as much as he could. Having an older

partner didn't really make it easy, but Hooker had been a good support for him the last couple of months. Romano opened the fridge, decided that he didn't really have an appetite, and closed the door. He moved down the hallway and into his room, finding Jeanette sitting in the recliner. A

blanket was draped over her legs, and she looked content as she read a book. Romano knocked on the door frame, then leaned on it. Jeanette looked up and smiled.

"How was work?" She whispered.

He shrugged. "Normal, I guess. How was the day of the midwife?"

Jeanette laughed quietly, shutting her book. She took off her glasses, looking at him wisely. "After three months, I don't really think I count as the midwife anymore, do you?"

Again, came the shrug. Romano moved over to the crib, looking down at the infant - fast asleep. "It's already been that long?"

"Oh, yes, indeed. Before you know it, you'll be sending her on her first date with some kid you'll never approve of."

"Sure," Romano mumbled. "Sure, I will. Thanks for looking after her, Jeanette."

"What's an old lady to do?" Jeanette said, and Romano patted her shoulder.

"You're not old," Romano replied, earning a look. He laughed. "Okay, maybe a little. Hey, why don't you take the day off tomorrow? I'm not working, just going to catch up on sleep."

"A cop playin' hooky?"

Romano smiled. "Try _Hooker - _Sergeant's orders. I gotta admit, it's kind of nice having him around anymore. He doesn't get on my case so much." He winked to show he was kidding, and Jeanette laughed. She stood and gathered her things, giving one last, sweet look at the baby. She turned

and patted Romano's cheek, and the two walked to the front door. Jeanette's car sat on the curb, as it had nearly every day for the last year. She'd become more than the midwife she'd started out to be, a very dear friend. They said goodnight, and Romano hesitated outside for a moment to

look up at the dark sky. He was very tired, so he headed in to get some rest. He knew he'd be up in a few hours to take care of his daughter. Corrine Romano was barely three months old, with a steady feeding schedule at three in the morning. Back in his room, Romano got into his pajamas,

his mind already running through the things he thought about every night. He looked over at the crib when he heard Corrine shuffle, then fall silent again. Corrine, the name that Emily had wanted more than any other. Granted, she hadn't had much to fight against - Romano had never picked

anything out - but had only been liked by her. Romano just...hadn't liked it, as he disliked other names. He'd barely managed to patch things up with Emily during her pregnancy, before she'd been taken from him. Her health had been terrible ever since she'd come back, ever since...that monster

had attacked her. Romano couldn't remember what the doctor had told him - he'd barely been able to look at the guy through the tears - but Emily had been under a lot of stress. She'd been left weak, and having the baby had just been too much. Then the parental responsibility had literally

been placed in his hands after that, giving him no time to mourn. The five steps to recovery had been replaced with five new things to buy: diapers, bottles, baby formula, clothes, and a car seat. He hadn't managed to touch that yet, since Jeanette was babysitting all the time, and he had little

experience with the rest of it. He wasn't really a father at this point, more like...an estranged uncle. He worked all day, slept some of the night, and went back the next day. The bills were far from being paid at this point, so he had to make sacrifices. Romano finally started to doze off with bitter

thoughts in his head. He knew that if he ever found out who'd done what he did to Emily, the man would pay. It didn't matter if Romano was on the job or not, he would see it through to the end. Emily had been someone special, even before all of this, and it'd been hard to leave her behind.

If he'd known that she'd gotten pregnant, he wouldn't have left her to fend for herself. He missed her so much.

Three o' clock came around, and Corrine started to whine. Blinking a couple of times, Romano pulled himself from bed and rubbed his eyes. "Okay, kid." He yawned. "I'm up. Gimme five minutes..." He wandered into the kitchen and got the formula ready, struggling to remember all the details.

He always had a moment where he wondered if it would be too hot or cold, but the baby never seemed to mind She was a fussy baby, crying half of the time she was awake, but whenever she was fed was the one time she was calm. No matter what Vince Romano did, that child was always

upset with him. She always wanted to squirm and squeal, so he left her be in her crib. Jeanette often reminded him that Corrine did the same thing when she was around, but he wasn't convinced. He hurried to cap the bottle and went back into his room. He found her on her side, moaning

pitifully, and he sighed as he picked her up. Moving to the recliner, he settled back into it gratefully and placed the bottle in Corrine's mouth. She clamped onto it immediately, and the room fell silent. Romano took those few short minutes to rock her gently and look at her, try to admire her, but

he never got very far. He saw himself in her eyes, and resented that. In a way, she'd always be stuck with him forever. She finished her bottle quickly, and made little chirping sounds of discomfort as she was burped. Then she started up again, and Romano was more quick to put her back to

bed. He wrapped her up carefully, then collapsed back onto his mattress without a thought to pull up the covers.

A knock at the door woke him in what seemed like minutes. It was light outside, though, and he groaned. Sitting up, he barely noticed the next knock as he felt the tears in his eyes. He'd been dreaming of Emily again, but he could hardly remember it. Standing, he pulled on a sweater and

headed to the door as it sounded a third time.

Hooker was there, that always amused look on his face. "What are you doing here?" Romano asked. "I mean, so early? Don't you have the night shift?"

Hooker smiled as he was let in. "Called in for a special assignment."

"Oh, what's that?" Romano asked, harmless sarcasm in his voice.

"Visiting a friend - very important." Hooker winked and pulled off his jacket. "Fall is definitely here, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I'd say so. I should turn up the heater, I guess."

Hooker took a moment to look around, admiring what he saw. "It's been a while since I've seen the place so clean!"

Romano made a face, turning the knob on the thermometer. "No, it's been a while since you've been over. If it wasn't for Jeanette, I'd be swimming in pizza boxes."

Hooker laughed heartily. "A woman's touch, every time. I turned out the same way ; Fran always had everything done before I could walk through the front door. How are you doing?"

"...As good as any dead-beat Dad could be," Romano replied, earning a look from his superior. "What? I'm not anything special."

"Why not?"

Romano waved a dismissing hand. "Nah, not now, Hooker. It's too early for that - I'm exhausted."

Hooker nodded understandingly; He remembered the first days of parenthood. He motioned toward the hallway. "Is she asleep?"

"I guess so, she's pretty quiet. If you want to see her, be my guest." Romano led him down the hallway, and almost immediately they both could hear distress. She'd obviously woken up, and wrestled her little fists within her blankets. Hooker moved in and scooped her up, cooing her sweetly.

"Hello, little one, what's the matter? A face this beautiful shouldn't be sad."

Romano let himself smile a little. Hooker had been unusually somber around his partner ever since Emily had died, even sensitive, and it was still odd. He could do from a tough police veteran to a teddy bear in a matter of seconds, and had latched onto the baby from the first moment. Romano

knew that someone great would be there to protect her. "You're good to her, you know," he said. Corrine fell asleep within minutes, and Romano was surprised when Hooker went to pass her to him. "No - "

"What? She's not my baby, Vince."

"She'll cry..." Too late. Romano had her back in his arms before he could finish. He held still, not ready for another emotional breakdown. "You don't understand, man. This kid hollers whenever she's around me. She doesn't have the right parent holding her."

"Romano," Hooker said, taking a place on the bed corner, "take a seat. I want to talk to you."

Romano hesitated, but another wave of the hand obligated him into the recliner. Corrine shuffled a little, but she didn't wake. Letting his breath out slowly, Romano looked up at Hooker with tired eyes. "I'm serious. This won't last long - she cries so much. She needs her mother, a-and I can't -"

"She's a baby, Romano. All babies cry, no matter what. She doesn't do it because she hates you, I promise. You won't have to deal with that until she's twelve." Hooker winked, amused at his own joke.

Romano rolled his eyes, deciding to give it a rest. His partner was trying to be helpful, and definitely understood, so he didn't argue. He closed his eyes and listened.

"When I had my first daughter, she cried - a lot. I always thought, 'Am I being too rough? Am I holding her wrong?' I figured that my wife already had it figured out and didn't want to let me in on the secret. One day, though, it happened. Christine was still fussy, but she started to smile and

call me by my name. Now I have a great relationship with her. It's just takes time, Romano, the natural passing of time. One day she'll realize how important you are, and love you no matter what."

Romano opened his eyes and looked down at Corrine, who hadn't stirred the entire time. It was definitely a new record. "Is that true?" He asked her. "You'll love me someday?"

"It'll come, Romano, sooner than you think.

* * *

_"You're sure you don't want me to come over?"_

"No, I'm okay, I promise. Thanks for the help, Jeanie."

_"Not a problem, honey. It'll be just fine. Goodnight."_

Romano hung up the phone, still balancing a howling baby in his arms. Three weeks had passed, and Corrine had caught her first fever. It nearly scared the life out of Romano, but after talking to Jeanette, he decided that it couldn't be too serious. Babies got sick like everyone else, and she

wasn't going to get much sleep tonight, but that was normal. It had started after midnight, after Jeanette had gone home, and now it was around one-thirty. Moving to the bathroom, Romano placed the tiny infant bath into the big one, starting the water. Corrine had already thrown up a

couple of times, so her outfit was carefully removed along with her diaper, in the laundry room. There was a little area that Hooker had set up for him, making it an easy station to clean her up. He hurried back into the bathroom and shut off the water, then placed Corrine in her bath. He rubbed

her stomach and ran warm water over her, massaging her head and ears a little. She whined and pushed against his hands, but he was determined. He had to help her somehow.

He sighed, feeling emotional from his fatigue. "I'm sorry, kiddo," he whispered. "I'm sorry you're stuck with me. I wish your Mom was here. Emily, I wish you were here." Frustrated tear fell down Romano's face as he dressed Corrine later on. She was finally starting to wear out, her face

still flushed and rosy. He wrapped her up tight and held her against his chest, sobs wracking his own body. "I'm trying, Corrine. I'm trying, baby."

He knew he had to love this little girl. She was Emily's girl, and the last couple of days, she'd started to feel like his, too. He'd been robbed of some truly precious experiences already, and his depression was keeping them apart. Perhaps she could feel that; that's why she was so upset. He

was stressed out, and so was she. He didn't know how to help her understand that he was the only one she had now. He was broken, and probably wouldn't be able to provide her every need, as much as he wanted to. He collapsed into the comfy chair, and just then, the phone in the

kitchen rang. He groaned, tempted not to answer, but it was probably Jeanette. He took a minute to collect himself, then balanced the phone against his shoulder.

"Hello?"

There was a laugh, obviously Hooker's. _"From the sound of it, you've been up for a while. Is everything all right?"_

"Oh, Corrine's got a fever. Jeanette said it wasn't serious, and things seem to be calming down. If it gets worse, though," he paused to yawn," I'll get the doctor."

_"She should be fine. I'm sure you have it all under control, I just wanted to check in on you."_

Romano smiled. "Always keeping an eye on the rookie, huh?"

Hooker laughed again. _"Something like that. Are you calling in for today's shift?"_

"I think I'll be fine. I'm fading real fast, so I'll be at the station on time - no worries."

_"All right. Night, then, Romano."_

"Night," Romano concluded, hanging up. He nearly missed the wall cozy, not remembering a time ever being this tired. Corrine finally seemed to have calmed down, so he went back to his room to put her to bed. Then something strange happened. The moment he set her down, she was

upset again. "What now? You can't be cold..." He picked her back up, and she was fine again. His heart jumped a little, and in the silence, relief flooded over him. She was awake, but calm in his arms. He felt his shirt balled up in her tiny hand, and she wasn't letting go. It wasn't until she'd

truly fallen asleep that Romano could set her down, and he stayed at her side. He smiled, remembering Hooker's words. Obviously, he was a parent for life, and would learn, but it seemed that things had started for the better. He'd been there for her when she needed comfort - him, the

estranged uncle, turned father. Maybe he wouldn't turn out so bad, after all.

* * *

_:) Aww. Well, that's it for this story, thanks for reading! It was just a little "what-if" drabble, and I liked doing both Emily's and Romano's perspectives. If I'm brave enough, I'll do more T.J. Hooker stories, I love that show. _


End file.
